Tradition of the Blacksmith Lives on in Rural Ohio

There’s something beautifully simple about the work of a blacksmith. It consists entirely of fire, iron and sweat. At times, the craft calls for brute strength. Sometimes it demands finesse. No matter the techniques employed, all that matters at the end of the day is how much work you’ve done — and that’s measured by how many finished tools, parts or decorations you produced that day.

In rural Logan Ohio – about an hour outside of Columbus – Doug Lockhart and his family work every day to fulfill orders for iron items that can’t be mass produced. Along the way, they’re dedicated themselves to keep the art of the blacksmith alive.

The family terms themselves The Makers of Hand Forged Iron, and the Lockharts are deeply involved with Southern Ohio Forge and Anvil – an organization dedicated to uniting the areas blacksmiths and to encourage classes that teach the iron arts to hobbyists, artists and would-be professionals who would like to take up the work as a career.

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And, even in the 21st century, there is still a need for professional blacksmiths. The mass-manufactured wrought iron items you might find at your local big box hardware store will suffice in most cases. But, what if a construction project needs specific appointments that the bulk items can’t fit? You need someone who can make it by hand. 

On the equestrian front, everyone from horse racers to farmers need their horses shod. No machine has come along to replace a ferrier. Enter the blacksmith again. It’s just good to know there are still jobs out for men who grow a beard and wear a flannel shirt because it protects them best from the fire of a forge or sparks being hammered off of an ingot — and not because they want to reclaim some lost echoes of manhood while walking down the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Traditionally, blacksmith work used an apprentice system with a master blacksmith working decades to achieve the necessary skill. That system has broken down in recent years with no national organization to set the official guidelines and benchmarks. In addition to offering coursework to train new blacksmiths, Lockhart is working to help create just such an official overseeing body to keep the work and the art form alive.

Below you can enjoy a brief visual tour of the Lockhart shop and see how a trained hand, male or female, can forge waste iron into something very real and very useful.